Arkansas schools failing to meet goals for 5+ years

Arkansas schools failing to meet goals for 5+ years

Here is the list, according to the Arkansas Department of Education, of schools that have failed to meet math and literacy standards for five or more years:

The number of Arkansas schools repeatedly failing to meet math and literacy goals more than tripled during the last school year, according to statistics released Friday by the state Department of Education.

Fifty-eight schools are considered "state-directed" schools, meaning that after five or more years, they haven't made adequate yearly progress in meeting goals established by the federal No Child Left Behind law. That's up from 16 schools a year ago.

"It is a disturbing number as we see that increase," Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell said. "But this is a plan to help those schools recognize where their difficulties are and what can be done to help remedy those."

Once a district is listed as state-directed, the state has the authority to appoint a school improvement director to help improve student performance.

"We're not saying these districts or these schools are failing," Kimbrell said. "We're saying they're in need of improving their instructional programs in order to meet the needs of their students."

On the district level, 213 school systems meet standards, while 25 are being monitored because they've fallen short for two consecutive years. The Hughes School District, in the Mississippi Delta, is the only district in its fourth year of not making adequate yearly progress.

"We have a state director that's working directly in that district and in that school almost every day," Kimbrell said.

The state said 498 schools met academic standards last year.

The No Child Left Behind Act calls for all students to show achievement at their grade levels in math and reading by 2013-2014.

Here is the list, according to the Arkansas Department of Education, of schools that have failed to meet math and literacy standards for five or more years: